Brave Chocoboy
by Laura JN
Summary: Prompto is woken up in the middle of the night by a cute little yellow fluffball of feathers in need of help, only to find himself in for far more than he had bargained for. Gladiolus goes to help him, but will he make it in time? M/M Gladio x Prompto, fluff, angst, action, romance (Rated M for potential smut later on)
1. Chapter 1

Note: Edited from an earlier version where Prompto was overly dramatic and unrealistic :') Thanks to CrossedQuills for your helpful feedback!

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

'Kweh!' the shrill cry woke Prompto up with a start. It was the middle of the night by the Astor Slough, and the other guys were still asleep in the tent. He rubbed his eyes. Had he imagined that sound? 'kweh kweh!' came another cry. That time the noise was unmistakable. Prompto rushed to unzip the tent, being careful not to wake the others. At his feet, was a fat yellow fluffball. Shaking uncontrollably, the little creature chirped at him again.

'Hey there little guy, what's got your feathers all ruffled?' Prompto asked the chocobo chick. The response was further chirping. Had it lost it's mother? The gunner crawled out of the tent, rezipping it behind him. There was an urgency in those 'kweh's that concerned him. 'Okay lil' dude, we're gonna go find your mama.' He scooped up the ruffled bird into his arms, and started walking away from the tent. 'All you gotta do is keep chirping okay? That way your mama will hear ya.' He reassured the creature, stroking its feather. The poor thing was warm but terrified.

A little way from camp the forest grew thicker, and the chocobo chick became more frantic with it's chirping. Were they getting closer? Prompto summoned his gun, knowing there were Sabertusks in the area. He would protect the little chick until he found his family. He was not prepared for what he saw next however, as they reached a small clearing. The gunner's eyes widened as he nearly dropped the chick.

Before him was absolute chaos. There were feathers, everywhere, caught between twigs and rocks. In amongst the disorder was a chocobo, facing off with a fully grown behemoth.

'Shit'. Prompto took a step back. 'Okay little guy, you hide over there. I'll come find you when this is over.' he set the trembling chick on the ground, before raising his gun. His hand was shaking. He probably only had one shot at this, with the others back in the tent, but he had to save that chocobo. Carefully, he took aim for the behemoth's head. If he could just get it between the eyes…

* * *

Bang! The sound of the gunshot woke Gladiolus. He looked around, instinctively checking on each of his companions. 'Crap...' Prompto was missing. Had the kid already managed to get himself in danger? They had only spent one day in the area and he'd already gone wandering off. Seeing no point in waking up the others just yet, he climbed out of the tent, and looked around. There was no sign of the blonde gunner anywhere. He walked in a circle round the haven, keeping his eyes peeled for signs of movement. Moments later, a small yellow fluffball bumped into him. The tiny creature reminded him of Prompto's daft haircut.

'Hey there.' Gladio looked down at the chocobo chick, 'You haven't seen a shortish blonde guy with freckles, have you?' The chick chirped up at him, and he finally realised just how frightened the chick looked. 'Okay lead the way'. He wondered briefly if he should wake the others after all, but if it was a Sabertusk pack on the prowl, he and Prompto should suffice to handle it. The chick it ruffled up its feathers even more, before scurrying away into the forest, Gladio following behind it.

* * *

Prompto's first shot had hit the behemoth square between the eyes. It even made a 'bink' sound as it bounced off the creature. Unfortunately however, the creature clearly had felt the bullet hit, as it reared on it's hind legs and let out an almighty roar. Prompto was shaking all over. No wonder the little chick had been so scared. What should he do? If he left the chocobo now, she would surely become that thing's midnight snack. Forcing his body to cooperate with him, he reached into the air,

'Hey big guy! Over here!' He called, waving his arms above his head. 'Tasty human right here!' Already angered, the beast growled low in it's throat, before prowling toward him. Prompto gulped. He had not thought ahead this far. He fired another shot, this time aiming for it's eyes. If he could just land one good shot, maybe he could get it distracted enough for the chocobo to get away. The poor bird was barely moving though. He needed to get over to it to give it a potion. How could he get the behemoth away without leaving the chocobo behind? He thought of his friends for a moment, sleeping soundly back at the campsite. He didn't want to die, but he had to do something. Fighting all of his instincts, he ran toward the beast at full speed, crouching down at the last moment and sliding under it's huge roaring chest. He quickly started running again, straight toward the chocobo, pulling off the potion's bottle cap as he ran. He grabbed the poor bird by the beak, and forced the potion down it's throat, before taking off again. This time he ran deeper into the forest, goading the behemoth to follow him, 'This way dogbreath!' He yelled at the beast. He could feel the creature's hot breath on his neck as he ran. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Gladio followed the little chirping fluffball into the forest, until he heard a loud roar. Crap, that wasn't a Sabertusk. He broke into a sprint, picking up the chick as he ran. He hoped that kid was okay. Prompto was capable, but he had a habit of either being a wuss, or rushing into things gung-ho and guns blazing, literally. It wasn't long before he reached the clearing, where he had to take a moment for his eyes to absorb what was going on in front of him. Amongst hundreds of yellow feathers, was a chocobo. The little chick hopped out of his arms, and hurried over to it's mother. The bird seemed completely unharmed, but then why were there feathers everywhere? He had a sinking feeling in his gut.

'You, stay here!' He called to the chocobos, before looking around for tracks. It didn't take long with his survival skills, before he found the large claw prints in the ground. 'Crap, definitely not a Sabertusk.' He broke into a sprint again, following the trail of giant prints. He felt his heart beat faster, as he thought of his companion facing off a behemoth on his own. Was he even still alive? He snatched up his mobile from his pocket, dialing as he ran.

Shit. Gladio really cared about that kid. He remembered coming with him to get his foster parents' permission for him to go with the prince on their journey, and their lack of interest. They had brushed it off, as if their son being in danger was no big deal, and they didn't care if he was happy or not. Their indifferent expressions had made him so angry, but Prompto had begged him to stay calm in case they changed their minds. He remembered training Prompto to use a gun, how to fight. The kid had been a fast learner. He was rough round the edges, but he was a good shot, and despite his regular cases of the heebie-jeebies, he was brave when it mattered, and loyal to a fault.

* * *

'Nice doggy…' Prompto cooed to the Behemoth before him. He was backed up against the thick trunk of a tree. He had run out of energy to run, so he had resorted to talking to it. The beast's growling grew lower, its great eyes focusing in on him. 'Sit boy.' the gunner growled back.

Prompto had lived a short, strange sort of life. His childhood was a blur of fear and isolation, and after his escape from Niflheim, he had struggled to fit in. It was not until he had met his companions that he had finally felt like he had a 'home' to come back to. He swallowed hard, before pointing his gun yet again at the beast's head. It was only a matter of time before the behemoth ate him. He couldn't die like that. Instead he jumped.

* * *

Gladio stopped dead in his tracks, his heart in his throat. He had arrived just in time to see Prompto jump straight over the behemoth's snapping jaws, before landing on it's head. He just stood there for a moment, completely unable to process what he was seeing. Prompto ran along the creature's back, before sliding to the ground, and aiming his gun at the thing's eye.

Bang! One shot, and the behemoth howled in pain. It would never see from that eye again. It took a final swipe at Prompto, knocking him off his feet, before it darted off into the woods.

As Gladio ran over to him, he could see that Prompto was badly injured. How could he have let this happen? How could he have failed his friend when he needed him most? He fell to the ground beside the gunner, eyes darting over him, looking for signs of injury. His clothing was torn from the beast's claws, and he had three deep cuts in his chest.

Gladio snatched a potion from his pocket, and popped the cap off, before tipping the bottle against Prompto's lips. His hand was steady, even though his head was spinning. The gunner coughed up blood. 'Stay with me you idiot!' Gladio yelled at him, 'Don't you dare leave me here.' He fisted his hand into the younger man's hair, seeking comfort. He barely registered the arrival of Noct, Ignis and the chocobos. 'Kweh...' The mother chocobo sounded concerned. 'Kweh!' The little chick chirped. It wriggled its fat body over to Prompto, and pecked at him once. Gladio moved to swat it away, but he could not bring himself to hit the tiny creature. The chick looked confused, and wandered over to the young man's head. He looked all wrong, his face too pale. Gladio pulled him closer. If he had just got there sooner… the potion hadn't healed all the damage.

'Kweh!' The fat chocobo chick protested. Ignis had his arm around Noct, who was a little shocked. Gladio felt utterly helpless in that moment, until he spotted what the chocobo chick was doing. There was a tiny glow emanating from the little fluffball, slowly spreading out, and lighting up Prompto. Confused, Gladio blinked. What was this light?

* * *

The light was so strong that Prompto had to blink. He tried to turn his head to the side, but he couldn't move, and the light persisted. He tried scrunching his eyes up to block out the light, but instead it began to fade anyway. He found that he was aching all over. As the light receded, he cracked open an eye, and could just make out the outline of Gladio. He was close, but something was off. The man's hard features were filled with fear. Gladio was never afraid. Without thought, the gunner reached out one hand.

It took great effort just to move, but Prompto managed to brush his thumb over the bodyguard's cheek. The larger man's eyes widened, his gaze landing on Prompto's,

'Thank fuck!' To Prompto's surprise, Gladio pulled him against his chest, his strong arms wrapping around the gunner's aching body, 'Holy crap kid. Don't do that to me again.'

'W-What's going on?' Prompto huffed as his breath was knocked out of him by Noct joining in the huddle.

'You gave us quite the scare.' Ignis explained, 'You were severely injured.'

'S-Sorry.' He croaked. He tried to stand up, but to no avail. His legs were shaky. Instead he found himself being lifted in Gladio's strong arms. Had the bodyguard always been this gentle? Just then a 'kweh!' peeped up from below them. The little fat chocobo chick was looking up at him expectantly, its mother not far away. 'H-Hey lil' guy,'

'Kweh!' The chick chirped. It danced around in a little circle, I will remember your kindness yellow one! Prompto heard the voice in his head and gasped. Had that chocobo just…? He felt like the little bird's thoughts had projected into his mind. Good bye friend. The chocobo chick chirped a final time, before scurrying after it's mother, back into the forest.

'That chocobo chick healed you.' Ignis spoke up,

'It had some kinda magic.' Gladio remarked as he started walking back to the campsite.

'I guess he owed you one.' Noct smiled, his face now full of relief. Wow. Had Prompto really worried them all that much? Now he felt like a complete ass. He was happy the chocobos were okay though.

It was late when they got back to camp, so Noct and Ignis went to crash in the tent. Gladio was sitting with Prompto by the fire. Neither of them had felt much like sleeping after that ordeal, so they were just sitting in the warmth in silence. Prompto felt like utter crap. His body was a wreck, and he wanted to kick himself for making everyone worry. Gladio was sitting there like a statue. The gunner wanted to comfort him somehow, but he was useless at that kind of thing,

'Thanks for looking out for me.' Prompto nudged the bodyguard, trying to lighten the mood, 'I didn't fancy becoming dog food.' Gladio looked up at him at that moment, a mix of emotions swirling behind his eyes. He seemed to be wrestling with something,

'Do you value your own life?' he asked finally, 'Do you even realise your own worth?' Prompto felt his heart skip a beat. He had never once given thought to his own value. He was stunned speechless. 'Promise me that you won't do that again; that you'll rely on us more.'

'I… I don't know what I was thinking. To be honest, I'm not even sure at what point I realised it was too late to call for back-up. I lack experience, but I'll learn from this I swear.' He looked Gladio in the eye, so he would know he was serious.

They sat in silence for a while longer, and Prompto found himself gazing into the fire. His hand moved to his head, touching his hair. He glanced over at Gladio. He had woken up in the bodyguard's arms, and he'd been more upset than even Noct had seemed. Was he missing something?

'Gladio?'

'Hmn?'

'Um, about earlier… Did you by any chance…?'

'See you jump over a behemoth's mouth? Yeah. I did.' Gladio stared at him. Crap. No wonder he had been so upset.

'Ah… well you see-' Prompto was cut off, as Gladio's grabbed him by his torn shirt, his hands balling into fists. He leaned in close, and let out a low growl, 'G-Gladio?' the gunner gulped,

'You still don't get it.' The bodyguard said through gritted teeth, 'We care about you. I care about you. You scared the shit out'a me.' The rest of the world slipped away as Gladio said those words. Prompto could only stare at him, eyes wide. Nobody had told him they cared about him before, and he had certainly not expected it from Gladio. He could feel his heart pounding away in his chest as the words sank in. Slowly, he rested his gloved hands on Gladio's fists,

'I'm so sorry. I'm not used to having people care what happens to me at all, so depending on others doesn't come naturally to me. I promise I'll learn though.' Prompto said with all the sincerity he could muster. He truly didn't want to hurt his friends like that again. Gladio loosened his grip, before tugging him closer,

'Whatever happens, I'm here for you.' The bodyguard was looking at him with such intensity that Prompto felt his cheeks grow hot. He nodded, and Gladio finally let him go, before standing up. 'Can you walk?'

'Uh huh' Prompto tried moving his legs, and they were less shaky now. The two men climbed inside the tent being careful not to wake the others. They had left plenty of space for them on one side of the tent, so Prompto lay down beside Noct.

'Get some sleep,' Gladio whispered low, lying down on his other side, 'We'll get you back in shape tomorrow.' the gunner was not sure what that would entail, but it sounded like a chore. Maybe Gladio was back to his usual self?

Prompto slept fitfully that night, his head filled with images of the night's events: He was running through the forest, the behemoth hot on his tail, when a large, gentle hand reached for him. He was pulled out of harm's way, and then that hand was fisting through his hair, and he felt himself being pressed against a strong, warm body. 'Don't you dare leave me here.' the figure said. He sounded like he was in pain.

* * *

Gladio could not sleep at all. He had tried several positions, but in the end he was only content when he could see Prompto with both eyes. He needed to keep reassuring himself that the young blonde was okay. He could tell the kid wasn't sleeping well. He kept tossing and turning, and murmuring things. This was so unlike him. Normally Prompto would be sprawled out without a care in the world. Gladio leaned in to try and catch what the gunner was murmuring about. It was so quiet he had to press his ear right up to Prompto's lips,

'It's not your fault… Gladio.' the gunner insisted. He was asleep, and Gladio had not misheard him. The bodyguard felt a hot wetness around his eyes, and he could not help himself, as he reached around the smaller man, and pulled him into his arms. He held him like that for a long time, until the blonde finally drifted into a deeper sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Note: I hope you like cute stuff and fluff with a side order of danger.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

The following morning was spent driving to the nearest outpost, so the group could stock up on curatives and food supplies. Prompto had just bought a new shirt to replace his torn one, and was now taking a light stroll while Noct and Ignis went to the shop. He knew the bodyguard's eyes were fixed on him from the way the back of his neck tingled. Prompto wanted to prove to himself that he could be more responsible, so he had no intention of straying from the others. He walked over to an old man who was standing by some chocobos in their pens,

'Hey Mister. Are these your chocobos?' Prompto asked,

'They sure are young man. The name's Wiz.' the man introduced himself,

'I don't suppose you've heard any rumours about there being magic chocobos have you Wiz?' Prompto enquired, lowering his voice conspiratorially. The man burst out laughing,

'Well that's a new one kid. Can't say I've heard that I have.' Wiz chuckled, 'Why do you ask?' Prompto decided the guy seemed friendly enough to tell him the truth,

'I met one yesterday. It healed my injuries.' the gunner smiled, 'I didn't think they could do that.' The older man just blinked at him for a moment,

'Well I'll be damned. You're serious… huh. What did you say your name was kid?' Prompto introduced himself, and explained about the events of the night before. Wiz's eyes popped when he told the part about the behemoth. He skimmed over most of that, and focused on the chocobo chick,

'It started glowing real bright, and then my injuries were gone. It was more powerful than a potion. Then… I heard a voice in my head. I think it was the chocobo's. It even called me 'yellow one' which was weird...' He finished. Wiz frowned, and crossed his arms,

'I'd say that nickname wasn't the weird part.' He laughed again, 'Well I'm stumped. More to the point, I'd better alert the local hunters about that behemoth. It's a danger to the local people as well as the chocobos. Thanks for telling me, Prompto.' Wiz smiled before walking away to make a call. The gunner saw his opportunity; he walked over to the nearest of the big yellow birds, and reached out to pet it's head.

'Hey buddy. I guess you'll be cooped up in this pen until someone gets rid of that behemoth, but I promise we'll race against Noct when you're safe again.' He leaned his body against the wooden posts, enjoying the feeling of soft feathers beneath his hands.

The light hairs on Prompto's arms stood up on end, so he knew the moment Gladio was standing beside him,

'Information gathering? I'm impressed.' the bodyguard smirked,

'Kinda. The old guy's name is Wiz. He owns this outdoor cafe and these chocobos. I told him about ol' Deadeye from yesterday. He's gone to warn the local hunters about him.'

'You gave that thing a nickname?' Gladio cocked an eyebrow,

'Yeah… well, you know. So they can identify him.'

'Oh yeah,' the bodyguard laughed, ''Cause they'll have a hard time telling which of the many behemoths you blinded.' His voice was laced with sarcasm, but his face lit up all the same. Prompto pouted,

'Anyway, get over here Gladdy,' He grabbed Gladio's wrist and tugged him over to the large bird. He placed the bodyguard's hand on the chocobo's head, before taking a step back. He had only meant to distract the other man, but he actually looked surprised. Slowly, Gladio started stroking the soft feathers. After a few moments however, the big guy's cheeks turned red, and he took a few steps back,

'They're uh, pretty tame huh?' he coughed. _Why was Gladio getting flustered?_ Prompto wondered. Had he discovered good material to tease the guy about later? Now it was his turn to smirk,

'Never pet an animal before?' the gunner goaded, nudging the bodyguard with his elbow,

'Shut it blondie,' Gladio retorted, ''Course I have.' he reached around Prompto's neck and knuckle-rubbed his head, messing up the gunner's hair and making him curse,

'Oww, what was that for?' Prompto moaned, but he was laughing through the mild pain. When Gladio loosened his grip, the blonde became conscious of how close they were, making his heart beat faster. He guessed the guy was pretty intimidatingly large up close. He had noticed it a few times back when Gladio had trained him to fight, just how big his whole body was.

'Come on, we gotta make a move.' the bodyguard reminded him, changing subject. They met up with the others back at the Regalia. Now better stocked on supplies, they could head for Lestallum.

'Hold on a sec.' Noct piped up, just as they were about to get in the car, 'I know we have to keep moving, but we can't just leave while there's a behemoth on the loose.' Everyone paused,

'You have a point there, Noct.' Prompto agreed. He had hoped they could stay longer. He wanted more time to pet the chocobos and take selfies with them. If they worked together to take out the behemoth, maybe they could even race them afterwards.

'An important part of a King's duties is to protect his subjects.' Ignis nodded. Everyone turned to look at Gladiolus,

'Hey I'm down with it, so long as we stick together. We'll need to come up with a plan.' Gladio relented. And so that is how they ended up spending the next few days tracking down the behemoth and scouting it's lair in the woods.

* * *

Two days later, they were ready to confront the beast. Having found a shortcut to the place where the behemoth slept, they clambered through the narrow gap in the rocks, with Noctis in the lead. Noct pulled up short on the other side, the others nearly bumping into him. They were standing face to face with the monster. Prompto's breath catch in his throat. He knew the plan though. Ducking to the side, he ran around the beast, aiming for it's blindspot. Roaring in anger, it bounded after Noct, chasing him toward the barrels of explosives. One by one, they set off the explosives whenever the behemoth got near, until it could fight no longer. The beast howled in pain as it died, it's huge body falling.

Prompto was about to cheer in relief, until suddenly time slowed down for him. He felt his whole chest clench, as he spotted Gladio.

The bodyguard's sword was stuck in the beast's side, and he was trying to pull it out, but at this rate the large body was going to fall on top of him. Prompto found himself diving forwards, and tackling Gladio out of harm's way. He was breathing hard, his sides splitting from the effort of colliding with the larger man. Prompto scrambled over him to reach his face. He cupped his jaw in both hands, searching for signs of injury,

'Dude, are you okay?' he asked, more concerned than he let on. Gladio looked up at him at that moment. He was winded. Prompto had hit him pretty hard in the chest. He had been determined to ensure their legs wouldn't get crushed. They were only inches away from the behemoth's dead body.

'Prompto…' came Noct's voice from above them, 'Did you just save Gladio's life?' Prompto couldn't tell if he was being serious or teasing him,

'What? Me? Nah, Gladio would have moved anyway right?' He looked back down at the man beneath him, and realised he was straddling the man. He felt his cheeks burn, so he clambered off the bodyguard, 'You were gonna let the sword go eventually…' Prompto tried again. Gladio was just staring at him, as if he were seeing him for the first time,

'I didn't even realise the behemoth was dead until it nearly crushed me.' The bodyguard admitted. _Crap._ Prompto had saved his life. He could feel the insides of his brain melting. Had he just done something _actually_ useful? Maybe not only useful, but possibly even, good? He felt his eyes sting, and looked away, 'Well damn,' Gladio remarked, 'Didn't see that coming.' He sat up, before slowly getting to his feet.

'Let's go hand in that bounty.' Noct piped up, lightening the mood,

'Yes, we'd better notify the local authorities that the beast is no longer a threat.' Ignis chimed in. Gladio leaned down toward Prompto, offering his hand. The gunner took it, allowing himself to be pulled to his feet. His mind wouldn't focus at all,

'I'll scavenge this guy's horns, then we can get me a new sword.' Gladio laughed, heading over to the behemoth's drooping head. 'Then we can see about getting blondie a reward.'

'A reward?' Prompto was confused. What on earth would he be getting a reward for? The others saved his ass in battle all the time, and nobody rewarded them,

'For being more observant than this guy.' Gladio gestured toward himself, 'I should'a been keeping an eye on my surroundings, instead I was distracted by a stupid sword. You did good kid.' Prompto just stood there for a moment, basking in the praise. Perhaps Gladio only had something small in mind,

'Can we get dessert?' The gunner put on his best puppy impression, with the droopy eyes, he let his hair flop forward a bit,

'Sure thing, but I have something better planned.' The bodyguard laughed. As Gladio finished hacking off the beast's horns with his hunting knife, Prompto's mind filled with images of ice cream and waffles. He could totally go for waffles… dripping in chocolate. Okay he needed to reign in the fantasies. When they got back to the outpost, Gladio traded the horns over for gil, while Ignis went to claim their bounty,

'What do you think Gladio has in store?' Noct teased Prompto, 'Maybe a free hit at his normally smug face?' They both laughed,

'I didn't save his ass just so I could punch his head in. Not that I could. I'd probably break my fist trying.' the gunner smiled, 'I wasn't expecting anything at all, so I'm cool with whatever. I just hope it's full of sugar…'

A few minutes later, they were all gathered again by the Regalia. They had earned over three thousand gil, which was plenty to keep them going when they got to Lestallum,

'Great, so we're ready to hit the road?' Prompto asked, hiding his disappointment that they were leaving the chocobos behind.

'Not just yet.' The bodyguard grinned, 'First you gotta see your reward.' Gladio started walking up the road a little way. The others followed behind him, probably all wondering the same thing.

Ignis seemed to cotton on to the scheme pretty quickly, as did Noct. Prompto remained oblivious, until they reached the little ticket hut,

'Four for one race, please.' The bodyguard said to the man at the till. Seemingly thrilled to have customers, the man beamed at them as he stepped out of his both, leading them over to the racecourse. Prompto could not believe this was happening. He was finally going to race the chocobos, and with his friends. Even Ignis was joining in. Normally he would say they were getting side-tracked, but he seemed content enough,

Prompto walked over to his mount, his hands going straight for the bird's fluffy head feathers,

'Hey bro. Let's show 'em what we got.' He said to the chocobo, hoping the bird was in the mood to run fast,

'Kweh!' came the reply as he climbed onto the large creature's back, getting comfy in the saddle.

'Ready?' The Ref asked. Prompto focused on the track in front of them, excitement beating in his chest, 'Okay then. Three, two, one,' The Ref blew a shrill whistle, and they were off.

The group sped along the track, Noct taking an early lead. Ignis wasn't far behind him, and Gladio was neck and neck with Prompto. The gunner was smart though: Noct and Ignis would wear out their chocobos too quickly if they went at full speed from the start. This was no sprint.

Prompto kept pace with the others, but as soon as they reached the halfway point, he urged his chocobo on,

'Come on! We're gonna win this!' He encouraged the bird. The chocobo sped up at his command, gradually changing to a sprint. Ignis and Noct had started to fall back a little, their chocobos tiring already. Prompto overtook them at the next turn in the race track, with Gladio hot on his tail,

'This may be your reward, but don't think that means I'm gonna let you win the race blondie,' Gladio called,

'Oh yeah? We'll see about that!' Prompto grinned, urging his chocobo to hightail it. They were closing in on the finishing line now, and the gunner was determined to win. He was having the most fun he could ever remember having, but he also wanted to look good in front of Gladio. Praise coming from the bodyguard somehow just felt more… meaningful. Gladio never exaggerated when it came to compliments. He was always blunt and honest.

Gladio overtook Prompto for a moment, but he fell back again as Prompto gave his chocobo a 'Yee haw!' Either the bodyguard was cringing so hard he got distracted, or Prompto's bird really liked cowboys, because he stormed into the lead again, crossing the line just seconds before Gladio. Ignis followed shortly after, and Noct came in last, his chocobo completely out of breath.

'Bro, you gotta think tactics when racing.' Prompto laughed. Ignis rolled his eyes, while Noct chuckled along with him,

'I better step up my game for next time then.' the prince smiled. Prompto could not stop grinning. He was just so happy in that moment. His head turned, and when his eyes landed on Gladio, he ran over to him and threw his arms around the bodyguard's neck,

'Thank you!' Prompto beamed, his face scrunching up as he thought of the gift he had been given. Gladio just stood there for a moment, before patting the gunner on the back,

'You earned it. And on top of that, you beat all our asses in the race.' The bodyguard smiled. When Prompto let go of him, it took him a moment to realise what he had just done: He had never been that bold with someone before. He had never even hugged his adoptive parents, or his best friend. Had he and Gladio been getting closer recently, or was it his imagination? He looked down at the ground, suddenly wanting to hide his face. Gladio was probably looking at him like he was an idiot now.

'Come along,' Ignis spoke up, 'If we leave now, we'll be in Lestalum by nightfall.' And with that, the group climbed into the Regalia and set off to meet up with Iris.

* * *

Prompto was keeping his eyes on the road, but caught a glimpse of Gladio in the rearview mirror. The bodyguard was looking right back at him, his heated amber eyes locking with the gunner's blue ones. Prompto felt his whole body quiver, as if electricity were coursing through his veins. The slight movement did not escape Gladio's attention. Prompto had to stifle a whimper. What on earth was going on with him? His heart beat faster as he tried to process what was happening. One look was all it had taken to make him lose control of himself.

Prompto gulped, tearing his eyes away from the mirror. His mind was racing, and he was not sure how to handle it. Images of Gladio kept popping up in his mind; strands of memories of them together, all knotting up, until suddenly everything clicked. Prompto groaned inwardly. _Oh shit._


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: Some late game spoilers for Prompto's backstory. Also love guru Noct.

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

Prompto Argentum did not sleep well at all, still in shock from his earlier revelation. _He was so screwed._ What could he possibly do to make things better? He had been so happy the day before, right up until he had realised the truth: He was in love. Not with Cindy, the beautiful goddess of the garage, and not with Iris, the cute brunette. Nope. He was in love with Gladiolus, the shield sworn to protect the king of Lucis, a.k.a Noct. He had fallen head over heels for his best friend's bodyguard; the strong, stubborn man who kept everyone alive. To Prompto however, he had become a source of happiness. He had somehow let that happiness seep into his heart, and now he was doomed to love a man who seemed straight as an arrow. All of these thoughts were tumbling through the gunner's mind as he lay awake in his bed.

When the first rays of sunlight shone through the curtains, Prompto gave up on sleep, and slipped out of the room. He needed to clear his head, so he went in search of fresh air. He strolled out to the viewing point near where they had parked the Regalia. It was so early in the morning that nobody else was about yet, so he sat down on a bench, and tried to sift through his thoughts.

* * *

'Has anyone seen Prompto?' Noct asked the other two men,

'Not since we crashed out last night.' Gladio replied,

'I'm sure he hasn't strayed far.' Ignis reassured them,

'I'm gonna head out for a bit. Iris wanted to hang. Let me know when Prompto gets back.' the prince waved, before heading out of the door.

Gladio kept his mouth shut, but he had a feeling that Prompto's absence something to do with him. The blonde had been avoiding him since their short trip in the car, and refused to make eye contact with him. Gladio hoped he hadn't upset the kid somehow. He knew Prompto had low self esteem, but Gladio wasn't used to being all open about stuff. He had been so surprised when the gunner had hugged him yesterday, that it had taken him a moment to respond. He was only that close to Iris,

'Hey Ignis,' He walked over to the butler, 'Can I ask you something?'

'If this is about breakfast, then no, it's not cup noodles.' Ignis gave him a sardonic look,

'No. I was wondering if Prompto's said anything to you… you know… about me.' Gladio felt sheepish asking such a lame question, but he had to know if he had done something wrong,

'No, he hasn't. Is something the matter?' The butler encouraged him to continue,

'I feel like he's avoiding me, like maybe I did something to hurt him. He's barely spoken to me since we left Wiz's place, he won't look me in the eye, and now this… He never gets up before us.' Gladio felt his chest tighten. Ignis crossed his arms, and looked deep in thought for a moment,

'Has he done anything prior to this to indicate a lack of trust between you?' he asked,

'No. He's usually all pep and charm around me like he is with you and Noct.'

'Then I suggest you give him the benefit of the doubt, and ask him yourself. Prompto naturally keeps to himself. He may require some encouragement to share what's on his mind' the butler's advice resonated with Gladio. He needed to confront this head on like he did everything else. He thanked Ignis with a nod, before heading out to find the blonde.

* * *

Prompto had started walking at some point, in no particular direction. He was slowly making his way down the path that led out of town. All night and all morning had been spent playing out hundreds of scenarios in his mind in which he tried to have some sort of relationship with Gladio. All of them so far had ended badly. First of all, the guy might totally reject the idea of dating a dude, and if he managed to get past that hurdle, there was still no telling if he would even find Prompto attractive. Then there were endless things that could go wrong, what with Prompto's complete lack of experience, inability to read the mood, and a more general cluelessness. Finally, there was the biggest problem of the lot: Relationships needed honesty to work, and there was one thing Prompto had been keeping secret his whole life. It was the one thing he had told no one else; not even Noct.

After going through the countless scenarios that ended in failure, the gunner felt a sense of defeat. He wanted to find a way to make it work, but every new idea seemed worse than the last. Telling Gladio who he really was, was out of the question. He would lose all that he had gained: his only friends. He paused to take a few photographs of the view, hoping to distract himself with his hobby.

As he turned around to head back into town, Prompto heard a low rumbling overhead. Looking up, he felt his gut clench. His breath caught in his throat. There was a Magitek engine flying overhead, slowing down and descending. It would soon block his path. Could he really take them on by himself? No. The idea of fighting Magitek Troopers on his own was his worst nightmare, and besides, he had made a promise to Gladio that he would take better care of himself.

The gunner started to run, darting back towards town. He was too late however, as the mighty engine descended in front of him. It hovered mere feet from the ground, as three Magitek Assassins lept from the aircraft to the ground. Prompto froze. He was outnumbered and outgunned, but when he thought of Gladio, and the promise he had made, he forced his body to respond. He jumped over the crash barrier at the side of the road, and sprinted at full-pelt down the hill. He tried to lose them amongst the trees, but the assassins were not far behind. What was he to do now? He could not outrun them for long. Just then, he spotted a small crack in a tree up ahead. The tree's trunk looked just wide enough to fit a small creature inside. If he could hide there without them noticing, maybe he could shake them off.

Prompto dove straight for the small gap, wasting no time getting comfortable, and just squished himself in as much as he could. He huddled up, his arms wrapping around his knees, and just prayed that the assassins had not seen him hide.

The gunner stayed in the tree for what felt like hours. He could feel his eyes welling up as tears of frustration rolled down his cheeks. He felt like a coward. He was afraid of disappointing Gladio, but he wanted to fight. If the Magitek assassins found him here, he would have a hard time defending himself from such a tight spot. He hated the mere existence of MTs with a passion. Hiding from them made him feel like garbage. He should be putting them out of their misery...

That was when a shadow cast over him. Looking up in horror, Prompto met the cold eyes of the assassin. He flinched back, but there was no space to move. Instead a strong, armoured hand grabbed him by the neck. It yanked him hard, tearing him away from the tree. He cried out from the pain as his neck was crushed, before he was tossed aside. The gunner clawed at his throat as if the hand was still there. A second later he was struck across his shoulder with a polearm. Pain shot out from his wound, as he tried to scramble away. The assassin was already raising his weapon for the final blow. His two comrades joining him, forming a cage around Prompto.

In a final effort to save himself, the gunner raised his pistol, his arm shaking, and tears now streaming down his face,

'Rest in peace.' He told them, before pulling the trigger. He hit the assassin in front of him square between the eyes, so he was dead before he hit the floor. The other two however seemed unconcerned. The closed in on him, both raising their weapons. Prompto braced himself, turning to face them. From seemingly out of nowhere, a gleaming blade swiped out, severing the assassins in two. Their bodies crumpled to the floor, revealing their assailant behind them.

Prompto whimpered, unable to believe his bad luck, 'I tried to keep my promise I swear. I wanted to fight them, but I ran. I even hid- I'm so sorry. I was outnumbered. I'm so sorry-' the gunner's tirade was cut off as strong arms embraced him. He could feel himself being enveloped in warmth. Fresh pain sprang out from his shoulder, but he didn't care, he deserved it. Gladio pulled back suddenly, but kept his arms in place,

'Why won't you look at me?' the bodyguard asked. Something in his voice made Prompto look up. There was hurt swimming in Gladio's eyes, 'tell me what's going on. Like I said, I'm here for you.' those kind words made fresh tears spill down Prompto's cheeks,

'I-I don't deserve this.' the blonde whimpered, 'You're too good for…' he cut himself short. He couldn't believe what he'd almost let slip. He found himself pulling away from Gladio, desperately wanting to escape,

'Prompto!' Gladio drew his attention back, 'I'm not the enemy. _Look at me_.' despite all his fear, the gunner looked up. The sight of Gladio in that moment, looking so hurt, made Prompto feel like even more of a traitor.

'Let's just head back, okay?' the gunner deflected. There was nothing further he could do or say to comfort Gladio. He just wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole,

'Fine, I'll leave it for now, and we'll head back, but don't think that this conversation is over.' Gladio sounded like dropping the conversation was the last thing he wanted to do, and that just made Prompto's chest hurt even more. _If only he could think of just one scenario in which things would work out._ That was the trouble with unrequited love though, you could only predict your own half of the situation, because the whole thing was one-sided. Unless he said something, it would remain in his head. He wanted so badly to make this love a reality, to give it a chance, but it could never do that from within the confines of his thoughts. It would just sit there right next to his other secret, slowly becoming more and more difficult to express. Was there really no way that this could work?

'Gladio?' Prompto tried, forcing himself to make eye contact. The bodyguard seemed taken aback at his sudden change of behaviour, 'I'm sorry I avoided you. I promise I'll talk to you about it properly. I'm just processing some stuff right now, and I need more time to think it through. If I talk about it now it will just come out all wrong... Can you wait?' his hands were balled into fists, as if he could draw strength from them. Slowly, Gladio nodded. He walked over to him, inspecting his wounds. He ran his fingertips over the skin near the gash on his shoulder. Prompto winced at pain, but his heart was pounding from how close they were. If he flinched back now though, it might hurt Gladio even more, so he stood his ground. Taking a step back, the bodyguard handed him a potion,

'You're not angry at me for getting into another fight on my own?' Prompto couldn't help but ask, as he healed his wounds with the potion,

'Angry?' Gladio sounded offended, 'I was worried sick, and sure I may have gone overboard slicing those MTs in half, but I wasn't angry at you. I was angry at those Magitek bastards.' Prompto couldn't hold back his wince at those words,

'Oh,' He said, not really having anything to say. _Sorry I made you worry. Sorry I hurt you. Sorry I can't be honest with you. Sorry I'm one of those bastards, so I guess you should be angry at me._ He wanted to say so much, but all of these thoughts sat in a row in his mind, waiting in line beside his other secrets. Instead he just started walking back up the hill,

'Three days.' Gladio said, keeping pace with the gunner, 'Three days, then I want to know what's going on.' Prompto gulped at the short deadline. He needed weeks to process this, not days,

'Three? That's uh…'

'Its a long time if you're wondering what you've done to screw up so badly. I can wait a while longer for your sake, but I don't want this gnawing away at me forever.' Gladio clarified. The gunner stopped in his tracks,

'What?' his jaw fell open in disbelief, 'You? Screw up?'

'Well yeah. I must have done something pretty bad for you to avoid me like that. You were talking to Ignis and Noct just fine last night…' Gladio trailed off, seeing the shock in Prompto's eyes,

' _You_ have done nothing wrong. This is on me. I'm so sorry… I didn't consider your feelings at all. I'm literally the worst at this kind of thing.' The gunner started babbling. Gladio sighed in relief,

'Look if you need more time, take it. But rely on me a bit more okay? I don't want you thinking some crap about having to work everything out by yourself.' the bodyguard smiled, 'Come on let's head back.' He clapped Prompto's now-healed shoulder,

'Hey!' Prompto protested, but he was already laughing. He could feel the tension drain out of his body as he started talking to Gladio about inane things. He would need more space for a while, but if it was just casual stuff like this then he could handle it. He had become so swept up in his own emotions, that he hadn't considered their already existing friendship, and the impact he might be having on Gladio by avoiding him. He vowed to himself that he would not let this drag on forever. He would find a way to tell Gladio the truth one way or another.

* * *

The two men walked together back to the hotel, both feeling a lot more at ease. When they returned, everyone was chatting in the hotel lobby. Noct and Iris were back from their tour of the town, and Ignis was listening to young Talcot's love for cactuars.

'Hey, you're back!' Noct out, walking over to Prompto, 'Let's go hang out somewhere. Iris showed me this great looking cafe in town. You wanna grab some food?' the gunner's stomach rumbled on cue,

'When do I ever _not_ wanna eat?' Prompto laughed, following Noct out of the hotel again. He could really do with just chilling with his best friend.

The marketplace was packed with shoppers hunting for groceries and trinkets. The air carried the scent of fresh food; exotic fruits, fish from the lakes and veg from the local farms. The two friends made their way through the crowd until they reached a more quiet area, where there was a small outdoor cafe. The owner greeted them, showing them to a table for two. Prompto dropped into his chair, stretching his legs out, while Noct sat down across from him,

'Woah look at all these menu options,' the gunner perked up, 'I didn't know there were this many kinds of food.' The prince chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm. They both ordered iced fruit drinks and steak,

'How've you been?' Noct asked,

'Me? Uh… Not bad I guess. I've been a bit distracted lately.'

'Distracted?'

'Yeah. You know, I realised there's something I want, and now I'm trying to figure out how to make everything work out.'

'Something you want huh?' Noct nodded thoughtfully,

'Y-yeah.' Prompto stammered, what was the prince getting at here? Noct looked at him for a long time, staying utterly silent,

'So I'm hearing that there's something you want, and you're distracted by how you're going to get it in the first place, and how you're going to keep it. Is that right?'

'Pretty much.' Prompto sighed. Their drinks arrived then, and the blonde took his greedily, gulping down a good half of it.

'Wait a second…' Noct sounded shocked,

'What? What is it?'

'A hot waitress just smiled and winked at you, and you didn't notice at all!'

'Oh, uh…' Prompto wasn't surprised. He had someone else on his mind, 'Wait since when do you notice hot waitresses?'

'Haha you beat me! I was just messing with you to see how you'd react. It was just the old cafe owner.' Noct laughed,

'Aww dude! You totally got me.' The gunner smiled, 'How was your tour of the town?'

'Fun I guess. Iris showed me a lot of cool places. I think she has a crush on me.'

' _Pfft_ duh.'

'Huh so everyone else knew…' the prince sighed,

'I bet Gladio doesn't. Can you imagine how he'd react if he found out?'

'Oh man… he'd eat me alive.' the two settled into an easy conversation, laughing and teasing each other when the food came,

'So where did you go this morning?' Noct asked the gunner,

'Oh. Well I wanted to get some fresh air you know, to clear my head, so I went out to take some pictures.'

'Yeah? Let me see.' before Prompto could stop him, the prince had reached for his camera, plucking it from around his neck,

'Umm, it's just landscapes and stuff, dude.'

'Uh huh…' Noct mused, pausing about five shots in. He seemed to squint at something on the screen, 'Is that…?' he frowned, then passed the camera back to Prompto, 'What the hell man?' the gunner looked down at the screen. _Crap_. _The Magitek engine_.

'It came from outta nowhere I swear! I wasn't even that far from town. There were only three of them.'

'Three MTs? On your own?' Noct's mouth fell open,

'Well technically they were Magitek Assassins if you wanna be picky-'

'On _your_ _own_?' Noct's eyes bore into him,

'Well… You see I made a promise to Gladio that I wouldn't take on more than I could handle when you guys aren't around, so I… I ran. They'd landed on the road, blocking my way back into town, so I had to go down this hill, then they were chasing me through the trees… so I tried to hide, but then one of them found me.'

'They found you? Are you hurt?' Noct grabbed his wrist, turning his arm over to inspect it,

'No, Dude, I'm fine.' Prompto pulled his arm back, 'They attacked me, and I killed one of them, but the other two were still there. Then Gladio showed up. Uh… He kinda took them both out with one hit.' Noct just sat there, his drink forgotten,

'He must've been pissed.'

'Well I didn't break my promise…'

'Not about that. About avoiding him.' Noct corrected him. Prompto spat out his mouthful of juice,

'What? How did you know about that?' the blonde stammered. He could feel his cheeks grow hot. Oh man. He had hoped that the others hadn't noticed,

' _Pfft_ duh.' Noct mimicked Prompto's early remark, 'I saw you head straight for the shower last night. When you got out you went straight to bed. You normally wanna play Kingsnight. Gladio was moping around, and _so_ not subtle. _Neither_ of you are subtle.'

'Oh man…'

'So tell me what's going on? He killed two magitek assassins in one hit, so I know he's pissed about _something_. You've been avoiding him. What for?' The prince reasoned. Prompto sighed, maybe he could at least tell Noct some of the truth?

'You cannot tell this to _anyone_. Promise me?' The blonde lowered his voice. Noct relaxed and nodded, 'Okay, well… wow this is gonna sound lame.' Prompto inhaled deeply, 'I have a crush.'

'How is that news?' Noct rolled his eyes,

'Uh… cause it's a crush on your bodyguard.' Prompto winced, unsure how the prince would react,

'Oh. _Oh_. Well that explains a lot. But how is that different? Like… why don't you just tell him? I mean I know you weren't exactly confident talking to Cindy or Aranea, but you know Gladio. I'm not gonna stop you.' Noct encouraged him. The blonde sighed,

'That makes it even harder. He's probably already friend-zoned me in his head. Besides, how would that even work?'

'So what you're saying is; you have a crush on Gladio, and you've been avoiding him while you try to figure out how to get out of the friendzone, and then how to manage your entire relationship, in advance, by yourself?' Noct reflected back to him. Wow. When he put it like that, it did sound dumb,

'Oh man… I'm an idiot _and_ a coward.' Prompto wanted to kick himself. Of course he couldn't predict things that far in advance, because a relationship required two people. He had to actually get to that stage before it was even worth worrying about.

'I wouldn't be that hard on yourself. It's not like you've got any experience to fall back on.' Noct reminded him,

'Wow. Way to rub it in, Noct.' Prompto shoved him lightly on the shoulder, 'So how do I tell him?'

'How should I know? You don't have to be blunt, just see if he wants to go for a drink or something… but in the evening, and maybe somewhere more romantic.' Noct gestured to the crowded market mere feet away from them.

'That… that doesn't sound too hard. Nowhere too fancy though.' Prompto decided not to think about it too much. He would just ask Gladio when he next saw him,

'Prompto, if you need someone to listen to you, for anything, I'm here okay? But you can trust Gladio too. He won't judge you.' Noct reassured him. The gunner knew it deep down. He knew that this wouldn't ruin them. It was his other secret that might. But he could cross that bridge later. For now he should just move forward,

'Okay,' Prompto laughed, 'Prince Noctis, heir to the throne, love guru.' Now all the gunner had to do was wait for the right moment to offer to take Gladio out for a drink.

* * *

Note: Next chapter will contain drunken behavior of the giggle-inducing variety.


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: *maniacal laughter* Please drink responsibly, unlike these chocobros. Spoilers for various parts of the game.

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

After the party came across Niflheim's chancellor Ardyn Izunia, they were guided to the Astral Titan at the Disc of Cauthess. After fulfilling Titan's trial and fighting off imperial forces attacking the Astral, they returned to Lestallum to some unexpected, terrible news. There had been a raid on the town while they had been gone. In the attack, Gladio and Iris' family butler, Jared, had been killed. Talcot, Jared's grandchild was distraught. They had only been gone for a few days, and yet the Niflheim army must have caught wind of their location.

Gladio was comforting his sister, while Noct tried to talk to the bereaved grandson. Prompto and Ignis were left to take care of their preparations for the coming days. They were loading up the Regalia when Prompto broke the silence,

'Do you think Iris will be alright without us? What if there's another attack?' he asked, worried for her as a friend, but also aware that Gladio would want her to be safe,

'She's tougher than she looks, but you're right. None of us can stay here. We'll have to leave, and soon.' the butler replied,

'What about Noct's headaches?' the gunner was concerned for his friend, who had been suffering from bouts of pain since they had come to Lestallum,

'His Highness has not suffered a headache since we met with Titan, and I fear we must leave.' Ignis sounded stressed. Taking on the Archaean had been their most risky fight so far. They had had no choice but to trust Ardyn to get them past the blockade, and then help them out again. That man was up to something.

They were all even more exhausted by the afternoon, after the bad news had set in. Ignis stayed downstairs to talk with the Leville hotel staff, so Prompto went up to the room. He took a shower, wishing he could just wash away the grief in the room. After blow-drying his hair, he stepped out of the bathroom, expecting nobody else to be in the bedroom. He had only wrapped a towel around his hips, though he still wore the leather straps around his wrists. Those never came off. However the bedroom was not empty. The tired bodyguard was stretched out on one of the beds, his arms crossed over his face,

'Gladio? Hey…' Prompto walked over to him. Tired amber eyes looked up at the gunner. Silently, Gladio motioned for Prompto to sit down beside him. The gunner sat down on the bed. He reached down, taking Gladios arms in his hands, gently prising them away from his face, 'What can I do?' He asked. Hi wished there was something he could do to ease Gladio's restlessness.

Without warning, Gladio pulled Prompto down on top of him, wrapping his arms around the younger man, 'G-Gladio?' the blonde gasped, his whole body warming up. He suddenly became entirely aware of how little he was wearing, feeling the bodyguard's strong hands on the bare skin of his back,

'You weigh less than Noct. Have you been eating enough?' Gladio teased. Prompto calmed a little. If this was distracting the other man from his burdens, then he would work with it,

'Hey I eat more than anyone else. I just burn it off again when I jog.'

'You still go running in the mornings?' Gladio smirked, 'I was wondering where all that fast food was going.'

'Hey we haven't been to _that_ many diners. I've grown to appreciate Ignis's cooking.' He smiled, allowing his head to rest on the bodyguard's chest. He closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth where his skin met Gladio's. Instead of relaxing however, he could feel his heart beating faster, even as his breathing slowed and deepened. He could feel the lithe muscles of the other man's torso, and the slow movements as his chest rose and fell in an even rhythm.

Prompto's breath caught as strong fingers gently ran through his hair. He knew that he was blushing furiously, but Gladio couldn't see that, so he stayed put. Besides, having his hair stroked felt pretty good. He could fall asleep like this if only his heart would calm down.

The bodyguard's fingertips brushed the back of Prompto's neck, sending an hot, electric pulse through him. It felt amazing, and yet the blonde grew anxious. Gladio probably had no idea of the effect that he was having on him, and if this continued for much longer, it would be impossible for Prompto to hold back. He wanted so much more, but as Noct had pointed out, he didn't know how Gladio felt yet.

After taking a moment to compose himself, the gunner slowly untangled himself from Gladio's arms. Sitting up, his eyes locked with Gladio's and he had to bite his lip. For a second those eyes appeared to be volcanic, but then the moment passed and they returned to a warm amber. Before he could lose his cool, Prompto asked what he'd been wanting to for a week,

'So uh, would you like to get drinks later?'

'Drinks?' Gladio cocked an eyebrow,

'Yeah. Noct told me there's a new bar in town. It's okay to have fun and relax once in a while, right?' Prompto didn't mention that the bodyguard looked like he could use a drink. He was happy to make this about Gladio, since the guy was having a rough day. He waited while the other man seemed to mull things over,

'Sure. Noct and Ignis are busy though, so it'll be you and me.' Gladio's expression was unreadable, so Prompto just nodded,

'Okay let's head out at six.' He couldn't believe how smoothly this was going. It was just as well that Gladio didn't seem to think this was a date, as the blonde would be less nervous, and could focus more on cheering the guy up.

Prompto smiled, walking over to the dresser. He picked out a fresh set of clothes, and padded back into the bathroom to get dressed. Seeing Gladio looking up at him from his sprawled out position on the bed, he wondered if he would really be able to keep his nerves under control.

* * *

Gladiolus watched the blonde disappear back into the bathroom. The sight of him like that was doing strange things to the bodyguard. He couldn't tear his eyes away from that bare skin, and he couldn't help but miss that warm blonde head beneath his hands, laying on his chest. The kid's hair looked and felt like thick chocobo feathers. He had felt so comforting in Gladio's arms.

The bodyguard had been afraid of freaking the guy out by grabbing him like that, but then Prompto had gone and asked to hang out later, so maybe he was reading into things too much. Gladio had been distracted all day, so who knew what he'd missed.

The blonde emerged from the bathroom a short while later, wearing a blue short-sleeved top with his dark jeans,

'Is that a new shirt?' the bodyguard asked, wondering when the kid had found time to go shopping, 'It suits you.'

'Oh, thanks man,' Prompto smiled, flinging Gladio his jacket, 'You ready to head out?' the bodyguard nodded, following Prompto out of the door, and wondered why his heart was pounding in his chest.

* * *

Prompto was nervous. There was apparently no preventing it or squishing his anxiety down, so instead he accepted it, and went out anyway. He had almost tripped over when Gladio had complimented him on his new shirt, but the bodyguard did not seem to have noticed. The blonde had purchased the shirt a week ago, just before they had set out to fetch the sword from the Lucian ancestral tomb, hoping he would get a chance to wear it if he got lucky. _I got more than lucky_ , he thought to himself as they approached the bar by the main road. It was aptly named The Saxham Lounge, as their new brand of cider was brewed using locally grown fruit by the Saxham reservoir, and they probably bought their fish fresh from the lake.

'Where shall we sit?' Gladio asked, looking around the place. It was spacious inside, but Prompto wanted to sit somewhere more private. He led them over to a booth in the corner where it was a little less busy, keeping his eyes off all the young couples dotted around the place, 'First round's on me.' the bodyguard announced, shrugging out of his jacket and dumping it on his seat,

'Okay but I'm getting the next one.' Prompto insisted, his eyes skimming over the bar, 'I'll have whatever you recommend.' The gunner saw Gladio smirk,

'This'll be good.' He laughed, before heading over to the bar. Right. Prompto was _determined_ to stay sober enough not to embarrass himself. This was about cheering Gladio up, not getting wasted. That was what he told himself.

The bodyguard returned a short while later with their drinks, placing a small tray of glasses in front of them. To the side of the glasses was a plate of sliced lemon.

'Uhh, what is this?' Prompto asked cautiously,

'Its tequila.' Gladio's smirk grew broader as he reached for the salt shaker, taking the seat opposite the blonde, 'You gotta lick the salt, down the drink, then suck on the lemon.'

'Well that doesn't sound too hard…' Prompto eyed his drink, taking it between his fingertips. Gladio drew the back of his hand to his mouth, before licking over it once. He then poured half his salt over where he had licked, and picked up his drink. Prompto tried to copy him, though some salt spilled onto the table, he learned quickly,

'Three, two, one.' The bodyguard counted down, then they both licked their salt at the same time. The bitter taste was awful on his own, but Prompto quickly downed his shot. It burned the back of his throat, warming him up from the inside out, but the tequila was too strong, so he went straight for the lemon. He sucked hard on the fruit, and it's sour flavour quickly overpowered the burn of the shot. He took a moment to make sure he didn't choke on the drink,

'Son of a bitch.' he remarked.

'Man, we're just getting started.' Gladio grinned, licking his hand again, 'Think you can handle it?'

' _Of course_ I can.' Prompto salted up his hand again, this time not spilling any. Two more shots later and Prompto could really feel it hitting him, 'Dude, I can't see straight.'

'Things looking a bit blurry?' Gladio asked, laughing, 'Let's get a snack.' He signalled for a waitress to come over, and ordered a plate of Leiden potato fries,

'How are you sober?' Prompto asked, knowing his speech was slurring a little,

'I won't be for long, but have some food. You'll be less likely to get a hangover.'

After eating most of the fries, Prompto felt a little better, his vision clearing and his voice recovering. He still felt a little light headed and silly though. Pretty much anything Gladio said sounded funny at this point. They drank their fourth shots, finishing all the tequila, and Prompto was feeling pleased with himself,

'I'm getting this round.' He reminded Gladio, before walking up to the bar and ordering another four shots. He was buzzed. It was his first time drinking like this. He'd tried some cheap stuff back in Insomnia, but he'd never gone out drinking properly before. It was exciting, and he liked the dull burn in his chest. He liked that he was sharing this with Gladio, and that he seemed to be cheering up already.

Prompto returned to the table with the shots, placing the tray between them. Watching the way Gladio licked slowly across his own hand was torture. It was the most erotic sight the blonde had ever witnessed, and yet he had to keep quiet about it. He could feel his own response however, his neck was tingling where Gladio had touched him earlier, and just seeing the bodyguard's tongue drag over his skin like that, was making Prompto's muscles tighten. His breathing grew harder,

'Three, two, one.' He called out the countdown, his voice a little raspy.

After their final few shots each, Prompto needed to get some fresh air to clear his head, or he was going to do something stupid.

The cool night breeze welcomed them as they stepped outside The Saxham Lounge.

Prompto leaned against the wall, while Gladio looked up at the stars,

'What made you ask me out here?' the bodyguard asked. Prompto should have known he would ask that, but he was too tipsy to think of a good excuse,

'I wanted to see you smile.' the words tumbled out of his mouth. Great, now he sounded like a total sap. The words seemed to catch Gladio off guard however,

'What?' he actually looked flustered for a moment. Taking a step toward the blonde, he reached out with his hand. Up close, Prompto could see how red Gladio's cheeks were. He must have been more drunk than he was letting on, 'Are you never selfish?' the bodyguard asked, now closer. He held Prompto's jaw, drawing him towards him. The blonde felt as if he were caught up in a spell. His body was moving towards Gladio of its own accord,

'O-Of course I'm selfish; I run after chocobos by myself, I go off on my own, I didn't tell you what was going on with me 'cause I was too afraid, I asked you out anyway-' Prompto's drunken babbling was cut off as the bodyguard crushed him against the wall, his eyes ablaze. His hands gripped the blonde's hips. Prompto gasped into Gladio's mouth as he kissed him. He could not believe this was happening. Was it even okay for him to be happy right now? His body seemed to have ideas of its own, leaning into the taller man. His arms wrapped around the bodyguard's neck. He took Gladio's lower lip between his, dragging his canines over the warm skin.

The bodyguard moaned into Prompto's mouth, which did crazy things to his already inebriated brain. He wanted more. His heart was beating a mile a minute. Gladio's hot breath tasted of tequila and lemon, and it reminded him of the man slowly licking over his hand so many times tonight.

When the bodyguard pulled back, he was breathless. Prompto stared at him, unable to look away. Gladio let go of him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders instead,

'I think we've both had enough to drink.' the bodyguard remarked, no hint of a joke in his tone, 'Let's head back,'

'D-did I do something wrong?' Prompto stammered, his nerves starting to creep up on him,

'No.' Gladio said it so firmly that the blonde sobered up a little, 'I just don't want to do something indecent to you out in public.' A hint of that smirk returned, and Prompto felt his body grow hard. He was utterly entranced. As the bodyguard led the way back to the Leville, all kinds of wild images hurtled through his mind of what 'indecent' things Gladio might do to him. His could feel his erection pressing against the inside of his jeans, demanding attention. Prompto had no idea how to hide it. He had never been _this_ aroused before.

The two men had reached the top of the street when Gladio paused. He pressed Prompto against a pillar, running his hands through that thick, blonde hair. Slowly, he rolled his hips against him, making the gunner moan. He could feel Gladio's cock pushing at his crotch. He bit down on the bodyguard's neck without warning, so caught up in the moment that he forgot to be gentle. Rational thought had left him. His hands gripped Gladio's back as the larger man rocked against him again. He felt a strong, warm hand on his chest, stroking downwards until it reached his belt.

Prompto forgot about going back to the hotel, and found himself unfastening his belt and unzipping his jeans. What was left of his conscious mind told him that nobody was around anyway, but he was beyond caring who saw them at this point,

'How are you this perfect?' Gladio whispered right beside the blonde's ear. His hand delved lower, reaching into Prompto's now open jeans.

'P-perfect?' Prompto couldn't not see how that description fit him, but then again his mind was mush in that moment. He bit down on his lip when he would have cried out. The bodyguard had removed his other hand from Prompto's hair, and was now rubbing his thumb over the blonde's nipple. He could feel every touch through the fabric of his shirt, as pleasure surged down from his nipple, straight to his now-freed cock. Gladio grabbed Prompto's erection in his other hand, rubbing the tip through his dark briefs. Prompto nearly cried out at the intense contact,

' _P_ - _Please_.' He rasped,

'Please _what_?' Gladio growled, inches from his face,

'Damn it. Please _Gladio_ , I-I want you.' He couldn't believe what he was saying, but it was the truth. Gladio smirked, before claiming his mouth. His kiss was all heat and slow caresses with his masculine lips, while his hand reached to pull Prompto's briefs down, and started stroking the blonde's hard shaft. He groaned into the bodyguard's mouth, as the pleasure in his erection merged with the sensations in his nipple. Gladio moved both hands to his nipples for a moment, taking his time with them, leaving Prompto's cock to the cool night air. The breeze only made him harder, as he became more aware of just how exposed he was right now.

It was not until the bodyguard grabbed his wrists, that he realised they needed to stop. His wrists were a constant reminder of who he really was, and it was a total buzz-kill, but more to the point, he wasn't ready to tell Gladio everything.

'Gladio?' He tried, 'This is… wow, but I'm getting cold.' His cock twitched as if to illustrate the point. He pulled his underwear back into place, and zipped up the front of his jeans. His erection was painfully hard in there, but he could hardly walk around with it out, 'Let's head back to the hotel?' He looked up at the bodyguard. Gladio was still breathing hard, but he cocked an eyebrow at Prompto's words,

'Y'know kid, you can just say if I'm taking things too fast.' He was trying to be kind. It may have been the blonde's first time doing anything like this, but man was he into it. How could he pretend things were going too slow, when all he really wanted more?

'Uh... Yeah. It's hard to think… when we're doing those things.' What was he saying? He sounded lame even to his own ears. Gladio smiled,

'Uhuh. You're cheeks are looking pretty rosy there too. You're handling tequila better than I would've expected.' He clapped Prompto on the back, before walking onwards again. The gunner fell in step beside him, 'I had fun tonight. We should do that again sometime.'

'Really?' Prompto could not hide his joy, 'I mean, sure, why not.'

* * *

It was late when the two men returned to the Leville. Ignis and Noct had already fallen asleep; Noct in his large, royal bed, and Ignis on one of the smaller ones. The two remaining beds were each large enough to fit two people. Prompto walked over to his own bed out of habit, shrugging off his shirt and jeans, and dumping them on a chair. Gladio had gone to the bathroom to get ready for bed, so the blonde just crawled under his own duvet. He felt strangely empty, after that intense experience with Gladio only minutes ago. It already seemed so far removed from reality. That was until the bodyguard returned in only his boxers, and headed straight towards Prompto.

Wordlessly, Gladio climbed into bed beside the blonde, and pulled him up against his chest, wrapping his arms around the smaller man's torso. Prompto could feel the larger man's body heat everywhere their skin touched. It was even closer than they had been earlier, and yet they were just lying down together,

'Kick me out if you want, but I like it here.' Gladio whispered, his voice husky. Prompto gulped; he had not dared to dream that the night could end like this, in the arms of the man he loved,

'You can stay.' He smiled, letting out a contented sigh, and relaxing into Gladio's warmth. He felt strangely as though they had slept together like this before.

* * *

Gladiolus looked down at the young man in his arms. Prompto was sleeping soundly against him, and yet the bodyguard could not. His mind was still full of the night's events. He had known he was starting to think of Prompto differently, but that was about as far as his conscious mind had processed. He had fully believed he would just be going out for drinks with a pal, but two shots in, he had known something was up. The blonde had not once brought up their argument from a week ago, and yet he had seemed determined that they get drunk together. If he was hiding something, surely getting drunk would have been a bad idea? And yet now it all made sense. The evasiveness, the avoiding him, not looking him in the eye. He had noticed the way Prompto watched him hungrily, as he licked his hand, as he drank his shots. As soon as the gunner had become tipsy, his eyes had been all over Gladio. He had probably been unaware of it, but his blue eyes had been filled with lust.

The bodyguard had only meant to kiss him to see how he would respond, but in reality, kissing Prompto had made Gladio realise how much he himself had wanted to be with the blonde. Then there was that sexual urgency that had taken over the both of them. Looking back, he had never been that daring with anyone before, and yet with Prompto there was such a strong need to take him, to claim him for himself, that Gladio had been completely unrestrained. If the blonde had not stopped him, he would probably have taken things all the way right out there in the street.

Now Gladio looked fondly at the bundle in his arms, and prayed that nothing would get between them.

* * *

Note: Let me know what you think of this chapter, and what you would like to see more of in this story ^_^


	5. Chapter 5

Notes: NSFW!

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Prince Noctis was always the last person to wake up, but not today. Ignis was making himself a mug of coffee, and tea for the prince, but the rest of their group was still fast asleep. Noct had let out a snort when he first spotted the two men sleeping soundly together, but felt happy for his friends. Their expressions looked so peaceful. Ignis was clearly trying to pretend that he had not noticed, but he had put a little too much sugar in Noct's tea, which could only be a sign of distraction on Ignis's part. Noct smiled: It was refreshing to see that there was some joy still to be had.

There was a knock at the door, so the butler went to see who it was. Iris was on the other side, looking a little less tired than yesterday. She had been fond of the family butler, but Noct had spent most of the day with her yesterday, and she had started to perk up a little by the end of it. She rubbed her eyes, before scanning the room.

Noct nearly dropped his tea as he rushed for the door. He stopped right in front of her, hoping he was blocking her view of the beds,

'Hey, Iris,' He tried to distract her,

'Morning, your Highness! Is my brother here? I was hoping we could have lunch together…' She tried to peer around the prince,

'Uh, Gladio is… uh… busy right now. How about I pass on the message and tell him to meet you downstairs?' Noct pulled his best attempt at a friendly smile,

'Busy? That's not like him.' Iris wasn't buying it, 'Hey, what about Prompto?' I was gonna ask him to take a picture of us yesterday but I haven't seen him around,

'Uh, well… He…' Noct floundered, and looked over to Ignis, his eyes screaming _help me!_

'Prompto was out late last night. I dare say he is having a lie-in.' the butler filled in with the truth.

'Oh well it's nearly midday now, I'll just wake him up.' Iris slipped past Noct before he could stop her. The prince and his butler sighed in unison as the young woman's gaze fell upon the bed containing both the sleeping Prompto and her apparently 'busy' older brother. Her cheeks flushed red, as her mouth dropped open, 'Ah-ah…' She stuttered, 'This is…' her eyes darted around the room, before they spotted her target. She snatched up the camera and took a snapshot of the sleeping duo, 'This is too _adorable_!' She giggled, before taking a second picture on her phone, presumably for blackmail material in case her brother tried to stop her doing anything. She skipped back out of the room, waving to Noct and Ignis as she left, still giggling.

'Are you going to tell them or shall I?' Inis enquired, in a tone that suggested he would prefer a dagger to the face,

'Just leave the camera by Prompto's bed. He'll figure it out.' Noct chuckled. His friend would be grateful for the photo once he got over the fact that they had been caught.

'As you wish, Highness.'

* * *

Prompto's head as felt like it was going to split wide open. The ache in his temple was so strong that it made him want to hurl. His eyes would not open when he tried, so he tried to sit up.

Bad idea.

The room rolled and spun around as the gunner attempted to right himself. Why did he feel so crap? This time he managed to open his eyes a little, and as sunlight poured in, he shut them again hastily. Maybe a few more hours of sleep would fix things… He looked down at the bed, feeling the warm presence wrapped around him. Gladio stirred, pulling Prompto back down into his arms. The blonde resettled there, feeling much better when he was horizontal,

'I think I'm hungover.' he grumbled into the pillow. A low chuckle came from behind him,

'Well that was kinda to be expected. Even if you didn't mix your drinks. We had _a lot_ of alcohol.' the bodyguard's hand wandered down Prompto's chest, stroking over his skin. The blonde could feel his body grow warmer under Gladio's touch. He rolled over lazily, and kissed the bodyguard's neck. He licked over the muscle there, then dragged his teeth back over the now-wet skin. Gladio moaned as Prompto nipped and sucked at his neck. His laughter came out raspy,

'Hey knock it off, if you leave a mark it'll give people the wrong idea.' the bodyguard was still smiling when Prompto pulled back, suddenly nervous,

'W-What do you mean?' he asked, his heart pounding. Gladio frowned,

'I'm too hungover for this.' He sighed. Prompto's face fell,

'I'm sorry!' He flinched away, 'Ah-ah I presumed too much…' he could feel his eyes grow hot as they welled. Had Gladio only been interested in him because he had been too drunk to care?

'Woah there, that's not what I-'

'It's okay. I get it.' The blonde smiled, fighting back tears. He climbed out of the bed and went over to the chair where his clothes were. He was halfway through pulling on his jeans when he felt a strong hand reach around his neck, firmly holding him in place. Gladio whispered deeply into his ear,

'What I'm saying, is that _I'm_ not the one who gets bitten.' His low voice made Prompto's body tremble. The other man's hand came around his front, pinning the gunner to him. The next moment there was a strong, pleasure-pain at the base of his neck, as Gladio ravaged him. It was completely different to how the blonde's gently nipping had been. He was being marked, claimed, and though he knew it would leave him sore, he loved it, 'You're _mine_.' the bodyguard commanded,

'Y-yours. I'm yours.' Prompto promised, as tears of happiness spilled down his cheeks,

'Good. Then never doubt that I love you.'

Prompto's heart soared. He couldn't quite believe what he had heard, and yet there had been such a strong sincerity in Gladio's words, that he knew he had heard him right.

When the bodyguard loosened his hold, Prompto spun around and tilted his head up, pulling the taller man down. His brushed his lips over Gladio's lightly at first, but then a deep hunger for the other man took over,

'I love you.' The blonde confessed, 'It's the one thing I'm sure of.' at Prompto's words, Gladio relaxed, and ran his hand through that chocobo hairstyle, before stepping back

'Now how about that second date? I don't see the others around, so we could go out for breakfast.'

'I think you mean lunch, dude.' Prompto laughed, pulling up his jeans the rest of the way and zipping them up, 'Let's go to a cafe?'

'Sounds good to me. Hey, do you think they'll serve cup noodles?' Gladio asked as he checked his phone, 'Damn… sister got me good.' He smiled, before showing his screen to Prompto. There was a picture of the two of them, all curled up under the sheets. Gladio looked utterly content, while Prompto's face was smooshed into the pillow.

'Aww man. That means Noct and Iggy saw too. My hair's all messed up.' the blonde grumbled. Gladio smiled, loving that Prompto's main concern was his hair.

* * *

The two men found a quiet spot by the Lestallum viewpoint, sitting down at one of the tables. The bodyguard was nursing a pot of cup noodles from the stand, while Prompto had a hot dog from one of the street food vendors,

'I have a feeling this is the last we'll be seeing of Lestallum for a while.' Gladio sounded sad, 'I'll have a lot of memories of this place. The good and the bad.'

'I hope I'm one of the good ones.' Prompto smiled, now confident that he would be. The bodyguard gave him a smile,

'As if, blondie.' Gladio teased, before pressing a kiss to his forehead. Prompto just soaked up all of the goodness in the man beside him. He knew the road ahead would be dangerous, and that he would have to tell the group who he really was eventually, but for now he just needed this moment of happiness. He needed something to look back on fondly when things got tough, and this peaceful moment here with Gladio, even more than their hot night out, would stay with him.

Prompto had been gazing up at the sky, when an idea popped into his head,

'You see those cable cars overhead?'

'What about them?' Gladio's eyebrow raised,

'Wanna ride one? I'll bet you can see all of Duscae from up there.' the blonde grinned. He wanted to take photos of the view, but mostly he wanted some alone time with Gladio, and where better than far above where anyone else could see them.

'I don't see why not. Iggy will call if anything comes up.' the bodyguard smiled.

The two men made their way to the ticket attendant for the cable cars, and bought one that would take them on a loop around the region. There would be a solid few hours where they could have the private space to themselves. They waited for an empty cable car, before stepping in together.

Prompto flopped onto the fixed seating that ran around the whole car. He leaned over to look out of the window. Gladio sat down beside him, and waved to the attendant to show they were ready to set off. She nodded, before pressing on the lock. As soon as the lock clicked into place, the car started moving. It was not long before they could see quite a spectacular view. Prompto took out his camera and started snapping away at the landscape.

* * *

Gladiolus watched as the blonde got all excited about the view. There had always been something refreshing about Prompto's enthusiasm. He chuckled as the kid looked down and gulped, clearly noticing how high up they were. He seemed to dither for a moment, before gingerly stepping back over to the seat, as if the car might fall at any given moment,

'Scared?' Gladio asked,

'N-No! Not at all. I'm just… done taking photos for now. That's all.'

'Yeah. Sure.' Gladio smirked. Teasing Prompto had become his favourite hobby, 'It's nothing to do with the thousands of feet between us and the ground.'

'Thousands? Oh man.' the blonde hugged himself, 'Maybe this wasn't such a hot idea.'

'Sure it is.' the bodyguard purred, 'You'll be distracted enough to forget how high up we are.' He could see Prompto's cheeks flushed as he looked up at Gladio. The bodyguard saw his chance for some fun, 'I want you to strip for me.'

'Wha-here?' the blonde stuttered,

'Here.'

Prompto gulped again, but then his eyes filled with resolve. He stood up in front of Gladio, before shrugging off his jacket.

* * *

Prompto pulled off his shirt next. The cool breeze danced across his bare skin, as if urging him on. He could not believe that he was really doing this. He had been drunk as hell the last time they had done something like this, and now it was broad daylight. He had been hoping for some romance while they were up here, but he had not expected anything sexual. He could see the hunger in Gladio's eyes however, as they slowly devoured his body.

The blonde's heart beat faster as he reached for his belt, unbuckling the front, and unzipping his jeans,

'Stop there. I want to watch you play with yourself through your clothes.' Gladio commanded, that familiar sexy smirk spreading across his face. There was so much confidence in that lopsided smile that it made the blonde grow hard. He was not sure where this desire to obey Gladio had come from, but it sure as hell turned him on. He grabbed himself roughly, stroking over the bulge in his jeans.

The bodyguard's eyes grew hot as he watched, and unzipped the front of his own jeans. A moment later he freed his huge erection, pulling both his jeans and briefs down enough that he could pleasure himself. Seeing this only made Prompto harder. Gladio's thick cock was on full display.

Prompto wanted to feel that skin on skin connection, but when he tried to reach under the waistband of his briefs, Gladio growled, as if to say 'Not yet'. The blonde bit down on his lip, and continued massaging his shaft through the thick, dark cotton. His breathing grew deeper as he watched Gladio stroking his sex. What was the bodyguard going to do to him? Prompto did not know the first thing about what dudes did together. All he knew was that he _wanted_. He wanted to be closer to Gladio. Much closer. He recalled their tryst from the night before, and the sensations he had felt as Gladio had rocked their bodies together, grinding against him. He could feel his muscles tense as that memory crossed his mind, and his cock practically begged him to be touched properly.

'Come here.' The bodyguard motioned to his lap. He let go of his erection, leaving it standing upright, 'Sit.' Prompto came closer, and straddled Gladio, having to put his feet up on the seat for support. The larger man tugged Prompto's jeans down further, pulling his briefs with them. Prompto gasped as the cool air whispered over his naked shaft, but then had the breath knocked out of him as Gladio gripped him. Holding both of their erections together, he started stroking them. His strong hand worked over their cocks, while the other gripped the blonde's ass. Prompto moaned. He had never been touched like this before. Even when he was alone, he rarely ventured further than a quick release. This was nothing like that. Instead Gladio was taking his time, building up a thick tension in their bodies. Prompto did not thinking he could possibly get any more aroused, but the bodyguard started biting his neck,

'You know what you remind me of?' Gladio moaned in his low, gravelly voice,

'Wha-What?' Prompto breathed. The bodyguard's hand moved from his ass to his hair, fisting into the blonde locks,

'A frickin' chocobo. Your hair is so soft, I half expected you to have tailfeathers. But your skin is way to smooth to be a bird's.' There was a low chuckle, 'No, your skin is ecstasy. I could touch you all day. Damn, you're giving me some kinda weird fetish kid.' Prompto cried out as Gladio gave his hair a light tug, and the sensation went straight through him. He could feel himself on the brink of something powerful, and far stronger than he had felt before. When Gladio leaned back, he could see that volcanic look had returned in his eyes, and then the bodyguard was all over him, kissing him, biting him, marking him as his own. He grabbed Prompto's wrists, and held them high above his head. The blonde moaned in protest, but he soon realised he was enjoying it, being completely vulnerable in front of Gladio. Prompto was panting like crazy. He felt that tension in his body tipping over that brink, until a great wave of pleasure surged through him. He came hard, coating the bodyguard's hand and most of his arm. Gladio followed shortly after, his whole body erupting from the head of his cock.

Prompto stared for a moment at all the white liquid covering them. Gladio's had shot up in a line over his chest. The bodyguard let go of his hands, presumably because he wanted to rest his own arm. He released their cocks, before licking up the liquid that Prompto had spilled over him. The blonde watched in fascination, as Gladio drank every drop of his come. By the time he was finished, Prompto was desperate to return the favour. He scrambled off of the bodyguard's lap, and knelt down in front of him. Starting from the top of Gladio's chest, he licked his way down slowly, over all those toned muscles, until he reached that still hard cock. Prompto could feel his own shaft getting hard again, but he was focused on his man right now.

The blonde licked his way up Gladio's shaft, causing him to let out a load groan. His erection was covered in Prompto's come, and he wanted to clean it up for him,

'Woah there. If you keep that up I'll lose control.' the bodyguard panted, 'Trust me you're not ready for _that_ yet.'

'How do you know?' Prompto smiled, before flicking his tongue over the head of Gladio's cock. The larger man tackled him to the floor. The bodyguard's form was overwhelming, but Prompto wanted him. Just having Gladio poised above him, he knew he wanted to take things further. He wanted to get closer still, so he grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling Gladio down on top of him,

'Even if I _was_ gentle, it would still hurt.' the bodyguard looked torn,

'I don't care. I want you.'

'You should care... I do.' Gladio's eyes flickered,

'I love you, and I want you now.' Prompto said firmly, reaching up and locking their mouths together. He kissed Gladio hungrily, determined to show him how strong his desire was. He was so ready for more. All rational thought had abandoned him, and every fiber of his being wanted to be with this man, 'Now.' He wrapped his hand around Gladio's shaft, tugging it in demand.

The bodyguard's growl was so loud it took Prompto by surprise. One moment he was lying on his back, and the next he was flipped over, and his clothes were tugged down. The bodyguard had him naked in seconds, completely exposed on the floor of the cable car. Something hard and wet pressed against his ass, and he realised it was Gladio's cock, still covered in his come. He pushed at Prompto's tight entrance,

'Try to relax.' came a low purr by his ear, 'I want this to feel good for you.' Gladio's large body was completely surrounding him. Prompto found that he was so turned on, that relaxing was a bit tricky. After trying to slow his breathing however, he found that he could control his muscles at least a little better. That was when Gladio pushed inside him, filling up his entrance with his thick cock. Prompto cried out, but then the pain started to subside, as the bodyguard started moving inside him. He could feel a strong pressure building up deep inside him, in his ass, in his cock, in every inch of his body. The pleasure-pain built in waves, as Gladio thrusted into him,

'Fuck!' the bodyguard cursed through his moaning, as he released inside Prompto. The blonde bit down on his lip, as Gladio rode out his orgasm, until he felt his own climax. The pleasure that rolled through him was twice as strong as the last time, enveloping his whole body in wave after wave of pleasure. He was fairly certain he was calling out Gladio's name, but his conscious thought momentarily escaped him in that state. Slowly, he came back down from the high, as the bodyguard pulled out, and collapsed onto the floor beside him,

'Holy…' Prompto breathed, 'Wow.' He felt his knees give, and rolled onto his back.

'Yeah.' was all Gladio managed,

'That was… Did we just join the mile high club?'

'Yeah.' The bodyguard smiled, 'And Prompto?' The blonde looked over at his man, 'I love you too. Don't forget it, kid.'

It was not until they returned to the hotel, that Prompto remembered why he had not wanted to take things further the night before. He could feel his heart sink, as he realised what he had done.

* * *

Notes: Because cable car sex. I like to think that they are unavailable in the game because of the state these two left them in.

Sorry, not sorry, for cliffhanger chapter.


End file.
